Cigarette article



Patented July 20, 1948 UNITED TATES PATENT OFFICE ommune ARTICLE :Marvmnrrolkman, Shaker Heights, Ohio Applicatlonllecember 29, 1944,'seria1No.570;350 (01. 128-485) My invention consists of a novcl form of ci arette intended to be as a substitute for ordinary all-tobacco filled cigarettes socomlnonly in usetoday.

It is known. that the-smoking of cigarettes of the tobacco tilled kind is not only a fixed habit for many thousands of persons, but the inhalation of the tobacco smoke is, to a certainextent, injurious to the nervous system of smokers because of the nicotine contained in theftobacco.

, A primary object of my invention has been to produce a substitutecigarette of the class above mentioned, which maybe advantageously used by persons desiring to discontinue the smoking of tobacco-filled cigaretteaaeither because: they eonsi-der the habit of smoking suchcigarettes is injuri'ous, or because they wish todiscontinuesuch habit while satisfying their'ncrvous temperaments while smoking something which cannot be injurious, or which may have-additional vqualities that will be henefici all to 'the mucous membrane, or produce asensoi-y impression which is anaio gous to that of smoking the? customary tobacco cigarette while not creating any innit-ions effect that might be. derived from the tobacco type of article.

Still another object. of. my invention may be saidto lie in producing a cigarette sulostitute' for the tobacco cigarette; which substitute doesnot need to be: lighted or burned, and which, when used after the? manner of smoking, namely by inhaling a volatile agent in: the cigarette, will be cooling and mildly stimulating in its'cfl'ectsl- Still another object of my invention has been to produce a cigarette for substitute use asco'mpared with ordinary tobacco cigarettes; my substitute: providing a structure which is closely imitative of the ordinary tobacco cigarette in that it is made of a flexible plastic which has the impcarance. of, cigarette paper, or made of a flexiblc plastic.- coated externally with a paper layer that feels. and looks.- similar to that or the common tobacco cigarette, and. which will contain a volatile agent that may consist. of any one: of many essential oils: applied to a fuller within the casing or tubular" body of the: cigarette 01: my construction. Suitahie provisions are madesuch that the body which I use is preterablyvfonned from; a flexible plastic and willibe impervious; extel'nallyto-moisture, and also imperyious internal-- 1y with respect.' to the particularvolatile agent oroil that. may be applied to the filler which is located within the said tubular body or" casing. Furthermore, I employ provisions as a part; or: invention, whereby the: tiller or the substitute cigarette described will be revented irom being displaced from Within the tubular body prefelably of flexible plastic, and which pro-- visions include plugs inserted in'the ends of said body and of a .yiel'dable nature. These piugs or plug members which I employ are designed primarily with a view to being impervious to the oil or volatile agent with which the filler of the ci arettes is impregnated, so as to prevent the escape of such agents by flowing along the inner walls of the tubular body; The yieldabllity of the plug members to which I refer is also designed especially with a view to affording a mouthin resiliency for the end portions of the" cigarette which maybe gripped by the lips or teeth, all with a view to providing a complete simulation, not only in respect to the appearance of my substi tute cigarette, as compared with ordinary tobacco cigarettes, but in relation to the manner in which the cigarette may be yieldalbly retained by the lips or mouth of the person who is inhaling the same as a method of smoking.

Still another advantage of my invention is that by the peculiar body construction of my cigarette, the same maybe used by the smoker, so to speak, for a considerable length of time by reason of the construction of the end portion of the tubular body of my substitute cigarette, respecting particularly the provision ofthe resillent Tplug portions, as well as the inherent resiliency of the thin plastic material from which the tubularbody is made.

In the practical use of cigarette substitutes of the nature of my invention, the employment of the substitute construction which I have gen-- erally described above has been found especially advantageous for use by persons who are sick, including physically or mentally injured soldiers, sailors, or members of the armed forces Who are prohibited from using tobacco cigarettes on account of theeffe'cts thereof upon the nervous system, but who are beneficiall assisted in the use of a cigarette substitute such as I have indicated, by reason not only'of' the medicinal effects that may be afforded by suchuse but by reason oi the satisfaction given to the person because of his ability to ractice; to a large extent, the nervous no it or cigarette smoking that has been n x-ed upon I describe the following detailed-description and sl'row inthe aocompanfihg' drawings certain prefierl-e'd forms" of invention, and in respect to the drawings;

Figure: l a side: view or: a cigarette ct thetype army-invention;

trating the construction of the article previous to the forcing thereinto of the end portion of the coating body, the latter designed to be received within: thtubular end'of said body in the final formation of the latter.

Figure 4 is a View somewhat similar to Figure 3 but showing the finished cigarette of my inven tion, the sealing caps not being illustrated.

Figures 5 to inclusive, respectively illustrate a series of different forms of plugs such as may be inserted in the end of the tubular body of the cigarette for preventing the filler material impregnated with the volatile agent or oil employed for inhalation purposes, from being displaced from within the tubular body.

Referring now to the drawings annexed hereto, it will be observed from Figures 1 and 2 thereof that my cigarette substitute, as I may term it in relation to tobacco cigarettes, comprises the tubularbody I whichis preferably made of thin plastic material covered by paper 2 of a nature similar to that, as to appearance or color, and feel, such as employed for wrapping ordinary tobacco cigarettes; The paper 2 may include a section 2a of corked paper where the preference of the smoker may call for what are ordinarily called tipped cigarettes. The plastic material of the tubular body I is intended to be sufiiciently thin to be flexible so that it may yield slightly as the cigaretteis held in the mouth during the inhaling operation, in imitation of the ordinary smoking process.

Received in the tubular body I intermediate the ends thereof, and practically contained throughout the body except near the end portions, is a filler 3 made of air-pervious wool yarn, cotton rolls, granules of silica gel, or made from carbon or charcoal, all of which classes of material will be oil-absorbent. It is this filler 3 which is impregnated with the essential oil or volatile agent Per cent Menthol 50 Peppermint oil Eucalyptus oil 10 Spearmint oil. 10 Wintergreen oil 10 Of course, the filler 3 is saturated with the volatile agent above mentioned, short however of liquid excess or fiowage or obstruction of air flow through thetubular body lof the cigarette. An amount of about 0.5 vc.c. has been found satisfactory as the proper quantity of each of the above volatile agents, for each cigarette, for example.

In the ends of the tubular body I of my cigarette I have the inserted plugs 4, these plugs being preferably made of rubber as illustrated in Figure 2, and providing suilicient obstruction at the ends of the body I whereby to prevent displacement of the filler material 3 from within said body. The plugs 4 in the construction of Figures 1 and 2, moreover, afford an additional-function in that they are impervious to the volatile agent or oil with which the filler 3 is saturated, and therefore they will prevent any of said oil that might tend to flow along the inner walls of the cigarette, from passing out of the ends of the tubular body I.

As seen in Figure 1, when a cigarette of the construction shown in Figure 2 has been completely produced, it is contemplated that the volatile agent with which the filler 3 is saturated shall be retained in the body of the cigarette when not in use by means of sealing caps 5 located to extend over a short distance of the ends of the cigarette. The caps 5 may be made of gelatin, Cellophane, plastic material such as that used for the tubular body I, or they may be made of aluminum anodized, and any one of the above materials-or substitutes will be advantageously used forthe purposes. In matter of fact, in respect to any of the constructions which I describe the caps' 5 will be employed.

I now describe another preferred construction of my novel cigarette, shown particularly in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, in which construction Iutilize the tubular plastic member 6 similar to that designated I in the previous construction described, and containing a filler I like that previously designated 3 .in respect to the form illustratedin Figures 1 and 2. Likewise, inserted in the endsv of the tubular body. 6 are the plugs 8 made as described in reference to the plugs 4 iown clearly in Figure 2.- In the construction of Figures 3- and 4, and as particularly observable in reference to Figure 3, the paper Wrapping or coat 9 of the tubular body-6 which is applied tightly thereto, has the end portions thereof extending preliminarily a considerable distance be yond the ends of the body 6. Then this paper covering is turned in at the end portions thereof after the manner shown in Figure 4 to make the final form of the cigarette, said end portions having a somewhat conical cross section tapering inwardly as they are finally made. As seen in Figure 4, the end portions as folded'in to the tubular body 6 of the cigarette substitute, speaking in reference tothe end portion of the paper covering 9, are at the left of the corked paper section designated Ida and at the right of the plain paper sectiondesignated Hlb.

It is an advantage of the cigarette of my construction that if a person prefers to mouth the corked tip ends'of the cigarette he may do so, or he may use the opposite end of the cigarette in his mouth, since the process of inhaling the volatile agent in the cigarette is the same whether the cigarette is mouthed from one end or the other.

The paper wrapping or cover 9 ofmy construction of Figures -3 and 4 will beparafiin or wax treated so as to render the same impervious to oils or volatile agents impregnating the filler material 1. Any of such agents with which the filler I is saturated therefore, will not affect the end portions of the paper designated Ina and "lb as seen in Figure 4 under any conditions of use.

I prefer in the construction of Figures 3 and 4 to utilize the plugs ll of the type previously described in reference to the plugs 4 of my first disclosed form of my cigarettes according to Figures 1 and 2, thus obtaining the-same advantages of somewhat reinforcing the end portions of the cigarette when gripped by the teeth and yet affording' the desired'resiliency that is afforded very largely-in cigarettes, cork tipped, or noncork tipped, of the tobacco type.

Under certain conditions if desired, the plugs Il may. be dispensed with in reference to my cum struction of Figures 3 and 4, and the impervious paper end members Ilia availed of for preventing displacement of the filler 1 from within the tubular body 6 of this form of cigarette.

In Figures 5 and of my drawings I illustrate different forms of plugs such as may be used in conjunction with my cigarette article above described, Figure 10 showing in end view the form which is illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 inclusive.

In Figure 5 the plug is composed of a center solid portion and radiating wing portions extending therefrom. In Figure 6 the plug is composed of a tubular body with web portions running to the internal periphery of the body from a common center. Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 in its construction. Figure 8 shows a plug which has a solid body pre-formed with V-shaped peripheral grooves. Figure 9 illustrates a plug of a solid body provided with a multiplicity of small apertures. All of these plugs may be made of a length somewhat the same as shown for the plugs employed in the constructions in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. They will have the same general characteristics and will be preferably made of rubber or a substitute material having corresponding characteristics, if desired.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have provided a novel form of cigarette article useful as a substitute for the ordinary tobacco cigarette, and one which is especially advantageous to be employed by persons who desire to get rid of the habit of smoking tobacco cigarettes, to persons who are unable to longer continue such habit, and to persons who may be beneficially affected by medicinal qualities of the volatile agent with which the filler of the cigarette is saturated, when such agent is inhaled after the manner of use of an ordinary cigarette. In fact, my cigarette article may be used, so far as manipulation, feel, and to a certain extent, inhalation eifects, with much the same satisfaction derived from the ordinary tobacco cigarette.

If desired, a material such as cellulose may be utilized in substitution for the plastic body I or 6 to which I have referred in respect to the modification of my cigarette article in the drawings.

6 The prime requisite of the body I is that it shall be externally impervious to moisture, and internally impervious to the action of the volatile agent.

It is dersiable that filler 3 be arranged in the tube so that the resistance to air sucked through the tube (frequently called the draw) should be the same as with an ordinary cigarette, and I use a filler compacted to aiford such function.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a cigarette article, in combination, a resilient tubular body of flexible material, internally impervious to volatile agents, and externally impervious to moisture, an air pervious filler within the body, saturated with a volatile agent, and resilient plugs in and at the ends of the body, said plugs having air flow openings therethrough.

2. In a cigarette article, in combination, a resilient tubular body of flexible material, internally impervious to volatile agents, and externally impervious to moisture, an air pervious filler within the body, saturated with a volatile agent, and resilient plugs in and at the ends of the body, said plugs having air flow openings therethrough and formed to engage the inner periphery of the body to prevent flow of the volatile agent to the ends of the body, and a paper covering member for the body.

MARVIN L. FOLKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 726,037 Ferre Apr. 21, 1903 962,617 Bucceri June 28, 1910 2,342,853 Furstenberg Feb. 29, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,563 Great Britain June 10, 1912 

